The Covid-19 vaccine could get the green light in New Zealand in just over a week.

Medsafe will seek advice and recommendations from the Medicines Assessment Advisory Committee next Tuesday, about the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine.

After feedback on a benefit-risk assessment review, provisional approval could be granted as soon as the following day.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says the first focus will be vaccinating border, MIQ and quarantine workers - and their close contacts.

He says once the vaccine arrives they expect to complete vaccinations for this group, within two to three weeks.

Hipkins told Heather du Plessis-Allan we have a contract with Pfizer for 226,000 doses to arrive in the first quarter.

"What Pfizer have indicated is that those are unlikely to arrive in one shipment, that they'll be sent in smaller batches."

He says they also have not got a confirmed delivery schedule for the vaccine.

"At the moment, that's not locked down. They can't lock that down at this point

"But as soon as they can, we will let people know when that is."

New Zealand hasalso been trying to get Pfizer vaccines through the WHO Covax Facility programme.

"We'll know a bit more about that in the next week or so."

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